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Windows 7: Dbanning/wiping out HD, can I use windows 7 OEM or Windows 8 upgrade?

im terribly confused, what windows installer do i need to download? remember, i dont have any recovery disk. the clean install sends me to dell. can someone just link me to the installer i need to download?

Use the version that's on the COA sticker, it will activate with the Product Key.

If you're only planning to sell the machine then just set it up bare-bones for the new User to customize. Give the new User account a name like Owner or Asus. In your case you don't need to do all of the backup and setup which take up many of the steps in the tutorial, just what you want to add value or get practice.

It`s amazing how your story keeps changing, first the hard drive was dbanned, then it wasn`t done yet. You don`t have a COA, then you think you do. What gives here. Either do it the way you want or take our advice and burn the W7 iso to dvd and install windows and sell the pc. Why would you put a W8 upgrade on it Just put the original version of windows that came with the pc back on it and be done with it already, you are being so stubborn and Greg has been so patient with you. Come on Man

To answer your question, Yes, windows will install on a dbanned hard drive.

i understand dbanning wipes out the partition requiring a system image to restore, right? i know this doesnt apply for computers that come with recovery disks on their own but in my case i have to make my own windows 7 boot.

now i dont want to back up my entire hard drive, i dont have any external drive with that much space. can i just image the the path to the partition and nothing else? i just want to make sure windows can find the hard drive after the dban and reinstall. i dont want to image 400+gb of a data.

You only have to create one if you want to, the choice is yours, the size will be dependent on how much data is on the windows partition. There is not set answer.

If you have a total about 30 gigs of information on the windows partition, the backup will be at least that much, maybe a little less because it is compressed. When you run the program it will tell you how much space you will need.

A backup image is like a picture of your C partition and whatever else you choose to backup at the time.

my concern is that dban and most wipe software zeros out the partition, correct? does the windows boot installer include the programming necessary to restore the original partition or recognize a new hd to install windows on? once the drive is wiped i obviously cant make an image.

Look, 1 more time. You install windows. If you want to make an image on another partition the choice is yours. you don`t do it for a customer if you are selling or giving away a pc. That is totally their decision. Why are you gonig on and on about this.

If you`re not getting rid of the pc, it remains the same, you make a backup only if you want to. Read up about it 1st, it`s not something you have to do tomorrow

In 2 weeks time, have you gotten windows installed and activated yet ?

If you did, post a shot of disk management so I can see what you have.

listen. if the drive is wiped, the partition is erased as well, correct?! okay. so, when i reinstall windows 7, will the installer create a new partition to reinstall windows? the NTFS will be gone, right? at least that's what happens when other drives ive wiped but i had recovery disks from the manufacturer that included the OS as well. like i said i have no recovery disks, when the OS is gone so is the partition.

i want to be sure i can install windows, i dont want to start the installer and then it says the hard drive only has a few mb and it cant see it. a hd needs to be partitioned before it can install windows, or any os, right? this is my question. if i do have to make a system image i would only want to copy the directions needed to make the partition, but i dont think that is possible. im confused about was is required, the guide doesnt list recovery disks/system image as optional.

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